The agitation by advocates across Punjab against the LADC (Legal Aid Defence Counsel) policy is intensifying. On Tuesday, the 22nd consecutive day, the ‘No Work’ call given by District Bar Association, Ludhiana, remained fully effective. Hunger strikes and protests continued, while the functioning of the district courts was severely disrupted.Meanwhile, High Court Bar Association has sought suspension of the licence to practise of LADC lawyers. A letter has been written to Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana in Chandigarh, the regulatory body for lawyers.Lawyers have vowed to take the agitation to the national level and stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.Bar Association president advocate Vipan Saggar and Finance Secretary Rachin Soni stated that the advocates’ struggle against the LADC policy is proceeding in a completely peaceful and democratic manner.He asserted that the ‘No Work’ stance and the agitation would continue until a written assurance is given and the LADC policy is withdrawn.Subsequently, a large number of advocates held a protest march from the court complex to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Carrying banners and placards, the lawyers raised slogans against the government and the LADC system. While staging a sit-in outside the DC office, they made it clear that the struggle would not end under any circumstances until a written assurance was received and the LADC policy was withdrawn.Due to the ongoing ‘No Work’ protest, most cases in the district court complex were merely given future dates on Tuesday, while regular judicial work remained almost completely at a standstill. Continuing their hunger strike and sit-in, the advocates reiterated their demand for the government to take a swift and positive decision.High court issues new guidelinesMeanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued new guidelines aimed at making the LADC system more transparent, accountable and effective. In a letter issued by the Registrar General on July 27, 2026, several significant recommendations — approved by the Acting Chief Justice — have been implemented and communicated to all District and Sessions Judges across Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. According to the new guidelines, the Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) will appoint the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC), and no LADC will be permitted to obtain a Power of Attorney directly from an accused person lodged in jail. If a private lawyer is absent in a case, the court will not appoint an LADC immediately without recording the reason. Instead, an order regarding the absence will be passed first, and the accused or their lawyer will be given an opportunity to appear on the next date. The matter will be referred to the DLSA only if the absence persists thereafter.The high court has also clarified that if the accused’s private lawyer is present during remand proceedings, the court will wait for their arrival. LADC assistance will be provided only in cases where the accused does not have a private lawyer.The directives state that legal aid will be extended only to persons eligible under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Furthermore, LADCs have been instructed to adhere to the professional code of conduct and strictly refrain from soliciting private litigation or securing work for themselves, their families, or their chambers. Orders have also been issued to establish a roster for jail visits, implement a uniform policy for bail matters, and ensure strict compliance with these directives by all judicial officers and DLSA Secretaries.Agitation to go nationalMeanwhile, Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Bar Associations of Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh has intensified preparations to take the agitation to the national level. Advocate Satvinder Singh Sidhu, the committee’s convener, has sought permission from the Delhi Police to hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on August 7, 2026, against the LADC policy. A warning has been issued that the agitation will be further escalated at the national level if the government does not take a positive decision soon.Bar Association stated that this struggle is not limited merely to the interests of advocates but is a movement to safeguard the independence of the legal profession, the dignity of the justice system, and the effective and accessible delivery of justice to ordinary citizens. Appealing for moral support from all bar associations, social organisations and justice-loving citizens, they stated that the struggle and the ‘no work’ stance would continue with full determination until their demands are met.